WASHINGTON, DC – AARP and AARP Foundation issued the following statements after Jeff Gordon, four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet SS, completed his final full-time season in the Cup Series:  
 
“By any measure, Jeff Gordon’s achievements in NASCAR are impressive, but there are other numbers that enhance his accomplishments. Since AARP and AARP Foundation launched Drive to End Hunger in 2011 with Hendrick Motorsports, Jeff’s efforts have helped provide over 34 million meals to support the nearly 10 million older Americans who face the threat of hunger every day,” said AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins.  “We are looking forward to seeing Jeff take his next steps in reimagining his career, while at the same time continuing to make a difference in people’s lives.”
 
AARP’s primary sponsorship of the No. 24 team represents the first cause-driven primary sponsorship in NASCAR.  The multiyear nationwide campaign has raised awareness and funds for the problem of hunger among people 50-plus. The initiative has aided in developing long-term, sustainable solutions to the hunger problem.
 
“Jeff Gordon has been honored for his philanthropic efforts and has had an extraordinarily exciting career, delivering on and off the track in the fight against older adult hunger,” said AARP Foundation President Lisa Marsh Ryerson.  "With the help of Jeff and the Hendrick Motorsports team, we have made the most of this unprecedented opportunity to raise national awareness of this issue and lead the charge toward ending older adult hunger in America.”
 
For more information or to get involved, please visit www.DriveToEndHunger.org or follow @Drive2EndHunger.

###

About AARP Foundation
AARP Foundation is working to win back opportunity for struggling Americans 50+ by being a force for change on the most serious issues they face today: housing, hunger, income and isolation. By coordinating responses to these issues on all four fronts at once, and supporting them with vigorous legal advocacy, the Foundation serves the unique needs of those 50+ while working with local organizations nationwide to reach more people, strengthen communities, work more efficiently and make resources go further. AARP Foundation is AARP’s affiliated charity. Learn more at www.aarpfoundation.org

CONTACT:
Charlotte Castillo, media@aarp.org, 202-434-2560, @AARPMedia